RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Sir Malcolm ARNOLD (b. 1921) A Grand, Grand Festival Overture, Op. 57* (1956) [7'59] Peterloo, Overture for Orchestra, Op. 97 (1967) [10'08"] The Smoke, Overture for Orchestra, Op. 21 (1948) [7'57"] Tam o'Shanter, Overture after the Poem of Robert Burns, Op. 51 (1955) [8'17"] A Flourish for Orchestra, Op. 112 (1973) [3'25"] The Fair Field, Op. 110 (1972) [7'17"] A Sussex Overture, Op. 31 (1951) [9'18"] Anniversary Overture for orchestra, Op. 99 (1968) [4'19"] Robert Kett Overture, Op. 141** (1990) [7'52"] Beckus the Dandipratt, Comedy Overture for Full Orchestra, Op. 5 (1943) [7'57"] *Kathy Jones (principal vacuum cleaner); Helena Miles (sub principal vacuum cleaner); Chris Hoyle (section vacuum cleaner); Fiona Macintosh (principal floor polisher) BBC Philharmonic Orchestra/Rumon Gamba Recorded in Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester, 20-22 January 2004. DDD** First recording CHANDOS CHAN 10293 [75'43"] [JQ]

Hugely entertaining music conducted with incisiveness and flair. A pretty unmissable disc. I urgently recommend it. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Well-Tempered Clavier Books 1 and 2 Preludes and Fugues BWV 846-869 1-12 played by Andrei Gavrilov 13-24 played by Joanna McGregor Preludes and Fugues BWV 870-886 1-12 played by Nikolai Demidenko 13-24 played by Angela Hewitt Recorded at the New Art Gallery, Walsall, (Gavrilov), at the Palau Güell, Barcelona, (McGregor), at the Palazzo Labia, Venice (Demidenko) and the Wartburg, Eisenach (Hewitt) all in February 2000 Directed for TV by Karen Whiteside (Book 1) and Peter Mumford (Book 2) EUROARTS 2050309 [2 DVDs: 121:00 + 139:00] [TH]

An idea simple but quite brilliant and the results are as engaging as any I've come across. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Michael HAYDN (1737–1806) Requiem pro defuncto Archiepiscopo Sigismundo (Requiem for Archbishop Siegmund) (1771) [40.12] Missa in honorem Sanctae Ursulae (1793) [43.38] Carolyn Sampson (soprano) Hilary Summers (alto) James Gilchrist (tenor) Peter Harvey (bass) Choir of the King's Consort The King's Consort/Robert King Recorded at St. Jude on the Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, 7-9 May 2004 2 CDs priced as a single CD HYPERION CDA67510 [40.12 + 43.38][RH]

The Mass is given a satisfyingly spirited performance, but these discs are memorable for their fine recording of Michael Haydn's astonishing Requiem. One of my records of the year ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Clara SCHUMANN (1819-1896) Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7^a (1835) [23'30]. Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17^b (1846) [30'24]. Francesco Nicolosi (piano); ^bRodolfo Bonucci (violin); ^bAndrea Noferini (cello); ^aAlma Mahler Sinfonietta/Stefania Rinaldi. Rec. ^aSt Marcellino Church, Naples, Italy on May 25^th-26^th, 2004, ^bStudio 52, Naples Italy, on September 24^th, 2004. DDD NAXOS 8.557552 [53'54] [CC]

This is a superb, important disc that I for one hope will introduce new listeners to this important composer. ... see Full Review

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975) Symphony No. 4 in C minor, Op.43a (1935-6) Composer's arrangement for Two Pianos Rustem Hayroudinoff, Colin Stone (pianos) Rec. Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, May 2004. DDD CHANDOS CHAN 10296 [59:00] [PCW]

This will be compulsory and compulsive listening for admirers of DSCH … see Full Review

 

RECORDING OF THE MONTH Richard WAGNER (1813-1883) Parsifal Parsifal: Christopher Ventris, Kundry: Waltraud Meier, Gurnemanz: Matti Salminen, Amfortas: Thomas Hampson, Klingsor: Tom Fox, Tinturel: Bjarni Thor Kristinsson, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchestra Berlin, Festspielchor, Baden-Baden/Kent Nagano Nikolaus Lenhoff, Stage Director
recorded live, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, 4^th, 6^th and 8^th August 2004. DVD: all regions
including film "Parsifal's Progress" 317 minutes. OPUS ARTE OA 0915D [3 DVDs: 317:00] [AO]

Hard to beat this production for performance – all singers are specialists in their prime. It is as a total work, with a radical understanding of Wagner’s deepest philosophical ideas, that this production will become "immortal". My recommended pick of the year ... see Full Review

Richard WAGNER (1813-83) Tannhäuser (1845) Wolfgang Windgassen (tenor) Tannhäuser; Gré Brouwenstijn (soprano) Elisabeth; Josef Greindl (bass) Hermann; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone) Wolfram von Eschenbach; Josef Traxel (tenor) Walther von der Vogelweide; Toni Blankenheim (bass) Biterolf; Gerhard Stolze (tenor) Heinrich der Schreiber; Herta Wilfert (mezzo) Venus; Volker Horn (treble) Young Shepherd; Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival/André Cluytens. Rec. by Bavarian Radio at the Festspielhaus, Bayreuth on August 9^th, 1955. AAD ORFEO BAYREUTHER FESTSPIELE LIVE C643043D [197’49: 68’05 + 70’22 + 59’28] [CC]

This is now the best currently available Tannhäuser by a considerable margin ... see Full Review

 

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH

 

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) St. John Passion, BWV 245 [124'43"] Friedericke Sailer (soprano); Marga Höffgen (alto); Helmut Krebs (tenor/Evangelist); Franz Kelch (bass/Jesus); Hermann Werdermann (bass/Petrus, Pilatus) Recorded: Ilsfeld, Germany, October 1960 Motet: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225 [14'38"] Motet: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226 [8'38"] Motet: Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230 [7'34"] Recorded: Schwaigern, Germany, 1968 St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 [193'27"] Agnes Giebel (soprano); Renate Günther (alto); Helmut Krebs (tenor/Evangelist); Franz Kelch (bass/Jesus); Hermann Werdermann (bass) Recorded: Protestant Church, Weinsberg, Germany, October 1958 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 [36'00"] Ingeborg Reichelt (soprano); Margarethe Bence (alto); Helmut Krebs (tenor); Franz Kelch (bass) Recorded: Protestant Church, Weinsberg, Germany, March 1957 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 [164'19"] Agnes Giebel (soprano); Claudia Hellmann (alto); Helmut Krebs (tenor); Barry McDaniel (bass) Recorded: Ilsfeld, Germany, June 1963 Motet: Fürchte dich nicht, ich bin bei dir, BWV 228 [10'57"] Motet: Komm, Jesu, komm, BWV 229 [9'37"] Recorded: Schwaigern, Germany, 1968 Motet: O Jesu Christ, mein's Lebens Licht, BWV 118 [4'37"] Recorded: Schwaigern, July, 1966 Mass in B minor, BWV 232 [127'55"] Ingeborg Reichelt (soprano I); Elisabeth Fellner (soprano II); Renate Günther (alto); Helmut Krebs (tenor); Franz Kelch (bass) Recorded: Protestant Church, Weinsberg, Germany, January 1958 Motet: Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227 [23'32"] Recorded: Schwaigern, Germany, 1968 Heinrich Schütz Choir, Heilbronn Boys' Choir of the Robert-Mayer-Schule, Heilbronn (BWV 244) Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn Instrumental Ensemble (BWV 227, 228 & 229) Südwestfunk Orchestra, Baden-Baden (BWV 147) Conducted by Fritz Werner WARNER ERATO 2564 61403-2 [10 CDs: 78'26" + 77'07" + 76'27" + 75'37" + 77'23" + 58'02" + 53'38" + 76'00" + 78' 07" + 73'20" Total 724'07"] [JQ]

I have enjoyed these recordings enormously and recommend them with great enthusiasm, especially at such an advantageous price. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Franz LEHÁR (1870–1948) Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow)(1905) Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano) – Hanna Glawari; Erich Kunz (baritone) – Count Danilo Danilowitsch; Nicolaï Gedda (tenor) – Camille de Rosillon; Emmy Loose (soprano) – Valencienne; Anton Niessner (baritone) – Baron Mirko Zeta; Josef Schmidinger (bass) – Raoul de Saint-Brioche; Otakar Kraus (baritone) – Vicomte Cascada Speaking parts: Hella Kurty – Valencienne; André Mattoni – Vicomte Cascada Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus/Otto Ackermann Recorded 16^th – 18^th and 21^st April 1953 in Kingsway Hall, London. First issued on Columbia 33CX 1051 and 1052 Reissue Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn NAXOS 8.111007 [79:06][GF]

Good sound, excellent playing and glorious singing. I can't believe anyone will regret buying it. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Roger QUILTER (1877-1953) Complete Folk-Song Arrangements and Complete Part-Songs for Women’s Voices Amanda Pitt (soprano); Joanne Thomas (mezzo); Philip Langridge (tenor); David Wilson-Johnson (baritone) and David Owen Norris (piano) * Première recordings rec. Turner Sims Concert Hall, University of Southampton. 14 and 15 February and 31 August and 1 September 2004 NAXOS 8.557495 [77:53]

A memorable collection, sympathetically performed. With over half the songs premiere recordings, this is an album that all Quilter enthusiasts simply must have. ... see Full Review

BARGAIN OF THE MONTH Alan RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971) Symphony no.1 (1950) [24:40] Symphony no.2 (1959) ‘A Pastoral Symphony' [19:47] Symphony no.3 (1964) [30:43] Charlotte Ellett (soprano) Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Lloyd-Jones Recorded in the Concert Hall, Lighthouse, Poole, Dorset UK, January 6^th-8^th, 2004 NAXOS 8.557480 [75:10] [GPJ]

Meticulously prepared performances ... I urge lovers of English music to hurry out and get this CD .... it makes fascinating listening ... see Full Review

 

 

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